Foreigners arrested for attempted bank detail theft

Two foreigners have been arrested for allegedly trying to steal bank card data from an automated teller machine, according the Pudong New Area People’s Procuratorate.

Prosecutors allege that the two foreigners, whose names and nationalities were not revealed, learned online that bank card fraud is a lucrative crime in China. The two, both unemployed, were said to have arrived in Shanghai early April.

The duo allegedly obtained an electronic skimming device that scans and records bank card details from unsuspecting ATM users. They intended to access users' bank accounts directly, and also to sell account details back in their home country, prosecutors said.

On April 22, they allegedly installed the skimming device at an ATM in Pudong. Some minutes later, a Chinese man tried to use the machine and noticed that something was amiss. He reported the issue to bank staff and police were called.

The two foreigners, who were allegedly hiding across the street, ran away after police arrived. They were apprehended in a local hotel two days later, according to prosecutors. 

The pair were arrested for obstructing card management. If found guilty, they could face a jail term of up to three years.